This invention pertains to the production of acetic acid and more particularly to a continuous cyclic process starting with acetic acid.
Ethanol is a very well-known chemical and has been produced as an industrial chemical for many years. A number of methods have been used for making ethanol, but only two are now employed on a large scale. One is the reaction of ethylene with water over a phosphoric acid catalyst. The phosphoric acid is supported on an inert support, such as, silica. This process is highly efficient and produces high quality ethanol. However, it suffers from the fact that ethylene is made from petroleum and natural gas liquids which are becoming scarce and progressively more expensive.
The other process involves the fermentation of carbohydrates to make ethanol. This is currently being used on a large scale and more plants are being built to make ethanol in this fashion. This method is practicable with the current low price of some agricultural products. However, it cannot be counted on for the long term because the raw materials are foodstuffs for animals and humans. With the prospective shortage of such materials for the next decade, fermentation cannot be counted on as the process of choice for the manufacture of very large quantities of industrial alcohol for the long run. This demand may be exacerbated if alcohol is to be used as a fuel for internal combustion engines as in gasohol.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an alternate source of ethanol.
It is another object of this invention to provide an alternate source of ethanol from cheap and readily available materials.
Other objects of this invention will become apparent to those upon the reading of the specification.